Dakin Humane Society Awarded $100,000 Grant from Wiederhold Foundation

SPRINGFIELD — Dakin Humane Society has been awarded a grant in the amount of $100,000 from the John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation, a supporting organization of the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation.

The funds will be earmarked for a capital improvement project for Dakin’s facility, specifically replacement of an aging cooling tower and condenser water pumps. A reliable, efficient HVAC system is vital for the animal shelter’s climate control and creating a healthy environment for animals, maintaining stable temperatures to minimize stress and promote overall animal health, in addition to providing optimum air quality for people working in and visiting the building.

“We’re grateful to the John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation, a supporting organization of the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation, for their continued, generous support of Dakin,” said Meg Talbert, Dakin’s executive director. “The foundation understands that our facility is critical to our operations, and capital funding for this type of project is not easy to secure.

“Many of our major mechanical systems, including HVAC, are original to the building, which was constructed nearly 30 years ago,” she explained. “Being able to replace our cooling tower and pumps will enable our building’s HVAC system to operate at peak efficiency during the warmer months when we are busiest, and provide a comfortable setting for our many animals, employees, and volunteers.”